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After working at Goodwill for 15 months, I’ve come up with a sound theory on donated items. If someone has donated an appliance that is very old (from the early 90’s or 80’s and back) one can assume two things.

1 The item at hand was really amazing, but the person/family decided to upgrade after 10-20 years to the newer version of the appliance.

2 The item at hand had been stowed away for years, and the person/family had decided to donate it because it had been collecting dust for 10-20 years.

One should always be weary of more recent or seemingly brand spankin’ new appliances that have been donated. For example, several months ago I bought a Sharper Image juicer at said store. I was beyond miffed to find out how inefficient it was (I could practically drink the left over pulp that should have been dry!) Thus, I realized the excited person/family must have used it once after the 30 days they had bought it, been unable to return it, and had driven to the Goodwill in anger and donated it. My Kitchen Aid mixer from the 60’s has proven to be an absolute tank, so when my eyes settled upon the Tefal Juicer from 1989, my heart fluttered like a twitterpated song bird.

Note: The day I left early to buy the juicer was the day I was forced to block one of my neighbors in…oh the drama, but it was sooooo worth it.

I’ve been into green smoothies for more than a year. In fact, they were what catapulted me into a more sound and healthy diet. However, I’ve always been intrigued by juicers, as it’s nice to add something new to the mix. Unfortunately, you are way more likely to find affordable blenders than you are affordable juicers. The cheapest, reputable one is Jack Lalanne’s at $100, and most others can cost around $200 and up. Sadly, $200 was something I was unable to magically pull out of thin air, so I jumped when I saw the juicer at GW for $12.99 (they rarely come in.)

Juicing is great because it allows you to liquefy vegetables for easy consumption. My blender is not super powerful, so when I make green smoothies I can really only incorporate greens like spinach, collard greens, and the occasional Swiss chard. There was a whole land of carrot, beet, celery, and apple juice that I was not privy to, sigh. Plus, when you make your own juice there aren’t any added sugars and chemicals that are found in store bought juices. Yup, you heard me, this is juice you can actually drink on a regular basis!

When you blend or juice fruits and vegetables, the enzymes break down and your body has a far easier job of digesting them. With smoothies (which I will be writing a post on), since you don’t strain anything you are able to maintain the fiber. With juicing, the fiber is removed in the form of pulp and you are left with what I like to call: the essence. I don’t think one is significantly better than the other, though, I will admit that smoothie-ing is less of a process than juicing—there are so many parts of a juicer to clean! However, I think you do miss out if you are only able to do one. So, if your finances allow you, buy both!

So far I’ve made three awesome juices with my juicer (which has yet to be named!) I made a lot of stinker green smoothies at the beginning, so perhaps this learning curve is a lot better.

Recipe #1- I decided to try out a really simple juice so I could acclimate my taste-y buds

4 Oranges

2 Carrots

Teeeeny, weeeeny piece of ginger

I bought some Valencia juicing oranges at my local co-op for 30 cents a piece! Carrots are great because they do yield a large amount of juice and oranges are a sweet punch of vitamin c. The ginger was for some pizzazz and to make me feel a little hard-core.

Recipe #2- Getting a little green!

3 Oranges

3 Carrots

2 Kale Leaves + Tiny bit of spinach

I was really excited to use kale, because it doesn’t blend so well in my little Proctor Silex Blender. I first put in the carrots, then the kale, and finally the oranges. If you decide to use greens make sure you have something to add afterward to push through any leftover pieces and juice that might be sitting in the spout! I’ve noticed that when adding greens you can definitely taste them initially, but if you have something sweet in the drink (like the oranges) that is the taste you’ll be left with.

Recipe #3- Just Beet It

2 Beets

3 Carrots

2 Oranges

Chris and I don’t get many things at the co-op (wayyyy outside our budget for a full trip), but when I saw a bunch of 4 beets for $2.99 I had to get them. This definitely wasn’t as sweet as the other juices, but still palatable. Because of that, I wasn’t able to slurp it down as fast as the other recipes and the rest is in my fridge for tomorrow morning. Here are some ones to tips, recipes, and nutritional facts on this voluptuous purple root veggie.

When you are showering, making breakfast, or have a few spare minutes, listen to this video on juicing. You’ll pick up great tips on what fruits/vegetables will fill your cup up and what greens won’t leave you feeling like you bought a bunch for nothing.

Some things to remember with green juices:

If you aren’t used to eating fruits and vegetables tread lightly into the realm for the first week or two. Most of these recipes have topped off my 12 oz mason jars. That’s a lot of fruits and vegetables to be drinking in one sitting and can cause what is kindly called “runny tummy.” Your body will soon adjust, trust me, but you might find yourself having to go to the bathroom if you sip it down with the same amount of ease as Tropicana Orange Juice. Finally, freshly prepared juices start to lose nutrients quickly. It’s advisable to drink them immediately or within 24 hours. As the video above mentions, grapefruit and orange juice can last up to two days if properly stored.

In the last few posts I’ve been hinting at something really big hitting this blog, and today I drop bombs. Please, join me in a round of enthusiastic OMing to announce Yoga Mania! My junior portfolio class is doing a social media contest to see who can drive the most traffic to their blog and get people to stay tuned in. I really wanted to build up the yoga section of this site and thought this would be a perfect push in the right direction. I explain what this whole thing will be in the video above, but basically there will be a yoga video posted Monday-Friday. The video might be of a short sequence (less than 10 minutes!), a tutorial on inversions or arm balances, or a yoga chat ranging from pranayama to yoga clothing.

I’m really excited to see this all come together! Tomorrow and Friday I’ll be posting a video on yoga gear, which will be really helpful for beginners or people wanting to expand their clothing repertoire, and Friday I’ll be doing a post on breathing and ‘locks’ you can do with your body in order to settle your mind during practice.

Can I just start out by saying having a full weekend off has been amazing? I feel like I’ve been so productive and able to creep into my day. Hopefully my boss will pull some strings so this becomes the norm. I’ve been far too spoiled with free Sunday’s the past two weekends, and I don’t know if I could possibly go back to the life as it was.

I have some exciting news to bring. As of today, this blog will now feature video content! Exciting, I know. Now, I’m not going to become the next Martin Scorsese, but I’ve been playing around on the Windows Movie Maker, and I feel comfortable enough to bring you this first video where I talk about 2 exciting food purchases I made this week. Actually, there is a prior video… Maybe I’ll whip it out after I’ve become a video editing whiz as a whole “haha, look how incompetent I was” post. +2 points if you can find my awesome splice job. Fact one: I’ve definitely learned that if I mess up (or have to stop the video because my bread timer goes off) that I need to pause beforehand and pause before I begin so I can more easily edit out mistakes or my hand reaching to turn off and on the camera; aren’t I a quick learner!

So rest those tired, over worked eyes and listen to my sweet, sultry voice exclaim to the high heavens the benefit of trying new things!

As you know I fall rather easily in love with kitchen appliances. I like appliances that can do many things. My Cuisinart blending stick= whisk and food processor. I like appliances that can only do one thing, but do that one thing very well; how did I live before acquiring my zester? When it comes to my pans I like it simple. I’m not interested in these pans with Teflon coats, shine that will wear off the second you try to sizzle some bacon, or pretty flower doodles on the side. When it comes to pans I think in terms of simplicity and functionality. I think back to more simple times when people carted their belongings around in covered band wagons. I’m channeling Laura Ingalls Wilder and her incredibly attractive father.

I’m talking cast iron pans.

I’m not sure why I don’t see them hanging in more people’s kitchens. Perhaps it’s because they’re a tad heavy or because they are not ornate. What ever the reason, I’m hoping to convince you to go Team Iron after this posting.

Cast iron cookware has been around for hundreds of years. They are the original non-stick pan, and they retain a lot of heat making them excellent for frying. Plus, they’re super versatile and can be put in the oven.

Preparation

The first thing you need to do with your cast iron before you use it is season the pan. Seasoning the pan gives it that great non-stick quality (yes for cutting down on arduous scrubbing time). People use many methods to season a pan. Some people use high quality fat drippings they’ve saved over time. Other people like to use oils. When I had to season my pans I used good ol’ Crisco. Seasoning a pan is a great rainy day activity, as the pan needs to sit in the oven for a few hours. Do some homework, watch movies, or clean the apartment. This video shows the technique I used. It seemed the most basic, and I haven’t had any trouble with my pans yet. I honestly loved the seasoning process. I instantly felt much closer to the food I would be eating. Most people recommend to re-season your pan yearly.

Segregation is only cool when doing laundry and cooking with cast iron

Now that you’ve accomplished the hardest part of owning cast iron pan, you just have to make sure you maintain them by cooking smart. A great thing about cast iron is that the pans hold in the flavor of the foods you cook in them. Chris and I use one of my mom’s old pans exclusively for eggs and only eggs. Occasionally omelet innards—tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and cheese—will find their way in, but we are really strict about what goes in to maintain the flavor. Come over to our house if you want some good eggs. We also have three more pans. One is for cooking vegetables and the occasional pancake since it’s wider than the egg pan. The other is for our beef and chicken (if we are making stir fry we’ll add veggies.) I’ve tied a string around the handle of the meat one so we can tell the difference. The third one is my baby: the grill pan. It’s excellent for burgers of the beef and Portobello variety and great for fish. It doesn’t get the most use, but it has never let me down.

Treat it gently

One super important thing you need to remember when using cast iron is you have to clean it properly. Do not use soap or metal scrapers to clean the pan. Instead invest in a good sponge and a bristle brush that will never see the white of suds. Save the soapy sponges for the rest of your dishes. If you use soap it will eat away at the seasoning and will make you food taste blah. If you have something sticky in the pan, try to scrape it off while it’s still warm with a wooden spoon. It’ll make later cleaning much easier. In some occasions, you can get away with not washing it. We rarely wash our egg pan. Usually we just wipe it out, which is a luxury for fried egg aficionados. Users beware: don’t let it sit anywhere too long with water in it if you’ve got an unusually sticky mess. You’ll leave a rust stain in the bottom of your sink or on your counter, which means two things to scrub!

Health benefits

Cooking with iron can also reap surprising benefits. This summer when I was going through my soon to be discovered gluten issues, I went to get my blood checked for anemia. The doctors said my iron levels were fine, which I was mildly surprised by since I wasn’t super great at eating beans or taking supplements. It turns out that cooking with iron leaves traces of it in your food. Normally trace residue isn’t desirable, but in this case it helps out. This is great for vegans, vegetarians, and women in general, as we need to consume a sizeable amount of daily iron because of menstruation. The only people who should be concerned are people with an excess iron condition called hemochromatosis.

I strongly encourage you to add a cast iron pan or two (or three, or four) to your kitchen repertoire. Your food will taste better, cleaning will be easier, your health might increase, and you’ll feel more rustic. Yee-haawww!

This week keeps getting better and better. Yesterday I went to start my car…no luck! I think I have a broken V-belt which controls my power steering, brakes, A/C, and something else, and since I have an Audi it’s going to cost a butt load to fix. And I have to get my car towed. And no places are open on the weekend. And being a female I must be 100% on top of my knowledge game when I go in so I don’t get ripped off. And Chris’s brother still cannot get this dumb virus off my computer. I’m really trying to keep it together, but please, someone throw me a bone. Deep breaths. So while I’m stuck in the library waiting for my Dad to call me back about what to do, I decided to write today’s blog post on one of my favorite topics. Sugar—the white, grainy devil.

Credit: (Flickr) Darren Tunnicliff

Now, I’m not talking about the natural sugars found in fruits, but you probably already guessed that. I’m talk about the sugars added to our food. Go find a seemingly healthy item you have in your house—maybe some Chobani Fruit Greek Yogurt—and read the nutrition label. You’ll find the grams of protein, sodium, fat, trans fat, etc., and what percentage of your daily value (if you are on a 2,000 calorie diet, remember) you’ve used up eating the food. Notice how sugar doesn’t have a daily value %. I thought this was kind of funky, as the heightened amounts of refined sugar we eat in this country is such a problem. I did some in-depth research (okay, Google searches) and found that the reason sugar does not have a daily value % is because refined sugar has zero nutritional value and isn’t necessary in our diet. But at the same time it surprises me that there isn’t a spot on the label that mentions this and also gives an idea of the maximum grams of sugar we should be eating a day.

Allow me to put on a tinfoil hat and crazy bug eyes and call out conspiracy. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if lobbyists for sugar companies are encouraging forcing whoever is in charge of labeling to keep this knowledge from the general population, so they can continue to fill our bellies with unnecessary gunk. If you think the USDA or FDA is looking out for your best interest then think again! Follow the money, baby.

Let’s not be completely hopeless. If the media won’t give accurate portrayals we find our own. If we have no coordination for most physical activities we search high and low until we find something that fits. So we aren’t going to sit here and suck on our thumb or wring our fingers over this sugar issue. We use Google! This was the most legitimate website I found that gives a straight forward, already converted into grams answer, as I don’t think in teaspoons.

Now look at that item I told you to grab. Now back to me. Now back to the grams of sugar. Now back to me. Gasp. You’ve probably noticed that the grams of sugar are in the double digits. If you happened to have some flavored Greek Yogurt that has been touted as healthy you’ll probably see something like 23grams. Shock and awe of unhealthy proportions. Thankfully, most of our should be healthy but are really unhealthy sugar habits can be cleared up with a little bit of taste bud rewiring.

Yogurt- Start by buying plain (no, not vanilla, plain!) yogurt and adding your own fruit. Drizzle on a little bit of honey, which is still a sugar but more natural. If you have an awesome hand held blending stick then whip it all up. You won’t have to buy all those little containers, and most plain Greek yogurt has 9 grams of sugar per serving and the same amount of protein.

Tea and Coffee- My motto is if I cannot drink it straight then I shouldn’t venture down the rabbit hole. Find drinks that you only need to add a sprinkle of sweetener too. Every so often it’s okay to have an indulgent drink of tea with milk and honey or Starbucks Coffee, but if it’s an everyday ordeal start cutting back.

Check Labels- You now know the numbers, so be honest with yourself and decide if that snack you want is super necessary or something you can hold off on.

Check out this WebMD site on more interesting and eye opening information on sugar.

I have the college luxury of being able to cook my own meals, but for 2 years I suffered eating dining hall food, so I understand what a pain it can be to enjoy what you’re eating, never mind eating healthy. Last year at my school—when I wasn’t eating meat—I asked if the dining hall (who claimed to be really open to conversation) could start serving healthier options for the meat-less. A pasta-lifestyle does not a healthy diet make. Let’s just say I was shocked at the push back I got from a certain head chef who “claimed” they cared about the health of her students. It was appalling and still makes my blood boil. The cooks practically went out of their way to make healthy food unappealing. Eating healthy doesn’t need to be overly expensive, per say, but it is a lot cheaper to feed everyone pizza and chicken nuggets than fresh food. It’s a sad truism in this country. It seemed Sodexo (the notorious food provider we had) was more interested in saving a buck, getting rebates from the junk snacks they were hocking at us, and being lazy in their chef prep skills. Thankfully, there are ways to navigate the pizza, fries, burgers, and soft-serve machine. One of the first things I started doing was incorporating a salad into my lunch and dinner. I allowed myself to eat what the main course was, but filling up with good for me foods beforehand helped me cut down on the greasy, buttery, salty, laxative (mmmhmmm) laden food.

Can I make a salad? Or can I make a salad?!!

Now, salads can seem really boring, but once you get used to eating them I guarantee you’ll crave them. For starters, you need to make a real, healthy salad. Ditch the ice berg lettuce and try using the darker, leafy greens, as these are true super foods! Add in hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, baby corn, mushrooms, onions (bring gum), olives, etc. Sliced apples, mandarin oranges, and pears are a nice added touch. Nix the croutons, bacon bits, and cheese. If you want something sprinkled on top try dried cranberries or sliced nuts. And for Pete’s sake, no more calorie heavy dressings like ranch, Italian, or Catalina! Why undo all your hard work by slathering it in gunk? Instead drizzle on some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You’ll feel fresh and light afterward, and since your stomach registers volumes you won’t be as ravenous.

At the same time, accept the fact that your body will crave different things during different times of the year. A lot of it is weather dependent. Most people like eating salads, fruits, and raw vegetables during the hot summer months and warm, hearty foods during the winter. During the fall season you have to practically force a salad down my throat, but oddly enough, come winter, I’m back on the greens. We’re all wired differently, but I can safely say that most of us could use more salads in our lives.

Just as delicious!

Other tips:

Only get ice cream or a dessert one day of the week.

Even if it kills you, get up in time to have a sit down breakfast of eggs, oatmeal, milk, juice, yogurt, etc, whatever you want. Don’t be the student who’s always grabbing a bagel on the run; trust me, your waist will thank you.

Wean yourself off of sugary sodas and juices by starting each meal with at least one glass of water.

There, I came up with a much better name for the poorly titled blog post: mirror, mirror; touch my body; move it. I wouldn’t say it’s up there with Eat. Pray. Love, but I’m making small gains.

Today’s topic is all about healthy vanity and getting off the couch. Here’s a little back story. When I was 14 months old I was adopted from Haiti by a white family from a very white area. I think there may have been one other black girl, so from day one my parents have always doted over me. I admit that I was a damn cute baby—diaper ad baby cute—and adorable young one, so I’m sure my parents and peoples’ kind words weren’t lies, but I think being the only black girl encouraged them to make sure I knew I was beautiful, as I had no one else to really look up too. That being said, it was probably the catalyst to my vanity. I adored looking in mirrors when I was younger, and it is habit that I’ve carried into adult hood (it has slowed down the past few years.) But I believe it is something we should all do more of!

Typically, when we have body issues we avoid looking at ourselves and wear baggy shirts and pants to cover our insecurities. Ladies and gents, I encourage you to take off your clothes—even your skivvies—and look at yourself naked. Get to know your body: the places you dip, curve, bulge, pucker, or are bony. I guarantee you’ll find parts, possibly quirky ones, you absolutely adore. It’s kind of clichéd, but I think being naked is one of the most fabulous things, and if you’re lucky enough to be rooming with a boyfriend/girlfriend, or have a single dorm room, then take advantage of it! On the flip side, you’ll also find places you don’t like, but you may make peace with them. I have 2 examples. For one I hated my breasts. Since age 7 I used to pray for boobs and one year it was as if the god (and you know how I love my various gods) of titties came down and was all “allakabam!” By high school I was a solid D; bathing suit shopping was– and still is– a nightmare. And for many big breasted women, you can probably agree with me that most big breasts are not like silicon enhanced ones. I’m not super saggy, but I wouldn’t say any porn agency would be casting me for “Huge, Perfect Melons 4—Grocery Adventures” But guess what: the more I started forcing myself to look at them the more I accepted their shape and realized they were fine. The same thing happened with this cellulite dimple I had. I used to hate it, but I realized that no matter how healthy I am it’ll always be there chilling on my left thigh, and I kind of like it.

Step two. Make like a body builder and touch your body. Flex your arm muscles, wimpy or bulbous, and see how they feel. Squeeze your calves. Feel your cheekies. Rub your tummy—trust me, it ain’t my favorite spot either, but looking and it and touching it has made me realize what diet and exercise habits change it negatively and positively. We’re tactile creatures, right?

Step three. Move your body. I’m talking about getting up and dancing. Try out different activities and figure out what ones work the best for your body type. Running is out of the question for me. I feel like a wheezing oaf and my knees constantly ache, but dancing and yoga class feel natural. So what if you have two left feet—experiment with swimming; have you ever heard of someone tripping while swimming? I personally think everyone should try hula hooping. You’ll certainly learn how to move that body and get a surprising cardio workout! Check out Sharna Rose, a hoop celebrity. She’s kinda amazing.

Me hooping in 2010 during my raver days

Learn to love the little (or big) things about yourself. I get that we all go through small phases of hating our body, but try not to let it affect you for a long time. Are you upset because you’ve gained a few pounds? If you know your body well (and can be honest with your habits) maybe you are meant to put on a bit of weight. But if you know you have been slacking on your care then turn that discouragement into fuel to eat better or workout a little harder. There is definitely a sense of pride in understanding your body. It’s the one thing we are stuck with for the rest of our lives, so I think we should owe it to ourselves to rise above hating it.

The last few days have been incredibly hectic, as I’ve been gearing up for back to school. In all honesty I haven’t been looking forward to it at all. Last semesters I was working about 20 hours a week and hard-core getting my academic grind on (3.82 GPA, baby), so it was quite nice to have a few weeks off. Even though I was working I thoroughly enjoyed not having to do homework and being able to sleep in the next morning. Ah, sweet bliss. However, the first day was not super. Last night my computer got a nasty Trojan virus, and Chris’s computer has been out of commission for the past week and a half! Not a great way to start the semester, but I suppose it was better than it happening knee deep in an intense assignment; Positive thinking, Jocellyn, positive thinking.

Since my schedule has become a little mind boggling, I’ve decided to make a schedule of days I’ll most definitely be writing on the blog, so ya’ll aren’t waiting with baited breath. With the way things are going right now it looks like I’ll be able to get posts to out on Wednesday & Thursday. Sunday and Monday are definitely out of the question– sorry folks. Saturday I’ll most likely be able to post as well. No worries, I’m sure I will have less tome-like posts to send you all, so you can check in to see what’s up. I’ve had some new healthy regiments I’ve been undertaking and I cannot wait to let you know how they’re going. It’s the start of the semester, so make it a good one! Set positive intentions for yourself.

Some possibilities:

-Drink less alcohol. It’ll honestly be better for your body, your brain, your academics, and possibly your social life if the drinkers you hang around don’t have much ambition.

– Do your homework the day it’s assigned. This will keep you from rushing around on due date. I’m not an extreme procrastinator, but this is definitely an area of my life I could strengthen.

– Pick up a new fitness routine and be consistent. Go to Zumba once or twice a week. Try out some workout DVDs. Start swimming at the local Y. Don’t feel like you have to rush out 5 days a week or pull any two-a-days from the get-go. It’s better to be consistent and build from there than go all out for a month and give up.

– Incorporate something “crunchy” into your daily life. Flax or Chia seeds might not be that horrible. You just might adore Kombucha. If you aren’t a heavy sweater (must be nice) try using a deodorant with minimal ingredients. Try to make your life as “clean” as possible where you can.

– Cull the herd. In regular man “speak”, start “phasing” out people from your life who aren’t beneficial. Why keep Chelsea around if she’s always making fun of you? Why hang out with Ray if you’re constantly getting caught up in his drunken antics, like picking him up from the drunk- tank? It seems cruel, but it’ll give you more free time and peace of mind. It doesn’t mean you have to completely ignore them (although, with some you have to), but don’t feel like you have spend valuable time and energy on them.

So I’ve recently added a new appliance baby to my collection of kitchen goods. May I present, my “new” 1960 KitchenAid 4C Counter Top Mixer! Pfft, wait a minute, she is more cougar than baby!

This lady is a beast. Finding one with the bowl and whisk is pretty rare. This model was made back when Hobart designed the parts for KitchenAid (now it’s Whirlpool) so there is a reason this still purrs despite her age. I got it for $12 and online you can get them for around $100-$150. Plus, a new KitchenAid counter top mixer will easily put you back about $300 and probably won’t last as long anymore. Ahh, you have to love planned obsolescence. I really enjoy naming inanimate objects, as I feel it helps create a closer bond, and Chris is gunning for Sir. Stir. I’m not really feeling it, but he was really proud of coming up with it so I’ll meet him half way with Senorita Stir. I’m just bubbling with excitement. I can make so much gluten free bread, baked goods, and big, big batches of ice cream. All I need to do is call the company and see if any of the dough-hook attachments they sell will still fit it.

There she is all strapped in and ready to go. Safety first! I’m hoping a friend with sweet Sharpie skills will decorate her for me.

Strapped In

Chris’s mom also got me this awesome immersion stick blender from Cuisinart. It has a whisk attachment, a container you can attach and chop in, and the blade part is removable for easy cleaning. I’m very excited to make some smooth soups with it. I tried it out on my post workout protein shake and it worked a lot better than my blender. Something tells me our new apartment will need more counter space!

Photo Credit: Cutlery & More

I also had a really successful workout yesterday. I decided to do some Blogilates videos and butts and legs were on the schedule. On the squats I used my sandbag (I think I have about 15-17 pounds in there) to get some extra burn. I also did that fitness list HIIT again once at the beginning and once at the end. Honestly, I did so much better than the first time and didn’t feel like throwing up. Since my neck hurts and my head is throbbing I see no point in working out tonight. Glad I got it in yesterday! Time to rest up and see what tomorrow brings.